Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, a national holiday during which we give pause – at least for a brief moment – to count our blessings. Wherever you are, that is a good exercise. An attitude of gratitude is worth cultivating throughout the year. I firmly believe it provides benefits from an interpersonal, professional,…

“Chance favors the prepared mind” said Louis Pasteur, and I agree. Don’t leave your Wharton Team-Based Discussion to fickle chance. Prepare for it with Accepted’s Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussion. This is a prime-time rehearsal. Details and prices are here. A participant in one of our past mock TBD wrote us after the real Wharton TBD, “The practice session was a huge…

The Economist has released its annual international ranking of full-time MBA programs. Data was collected during spring 2016. Two surveys were used: 1) The first was completed by schools with eligible programs which covered quantitative subjects and accounted for 80% of the ranking. 2) Current MBA students and a school’s most recent graduating MBA class…

This may seem hard for some test-takers to believe, but sometimes even the high-scorers contemplate retaking the exam. It’s not unheard of for someone with a score of 700 – or even higher – to retake the GMAT to see if they can hit a higher number. But should they? As is usually the case…

GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council) has released its 2016 Application Trends Survey. This is the 17th survey since 2000 and includes analysis of information submitted by 872 graduate management programs. These programs represent 335 business schools and faculties in 49 countries worldwide, including 42 U.S. States and Washington, D.C. Survey findings are related to applications…

While going through security at the airport recently, I had a TSA agent examining my ID suddenly… said, “I know you. You’re Linda Abraham from Accepted!” Surprised, I replied, “You’re right. How did you know?” Accepted is not on my ID. “I’ve attended your webinars.” Why should I have cared, or actually been pleased, that…

The advice that UCLA Anderson provides below is excellent, not just for Anderson’s essays, but for most MBA essays. Read it carefully. My tips are in blue below. Your essays are the primary way for you to share your perspectives and plans with the admissions committee. The best essays are introspective, genuine and succinct in directly…

One of the first things you’ll do when choosing where to apply to business schools is assess your profile. Otherwise, how will you know which programs will be appropriate for you? It’s best to evaluate the following four elements of your profile ASAP; the sooner you know how qualified you are, the sooner you’ll be…

Each year, Accepted consultants are witnessing a recurring epidemic. And it’s worse than you can imagine: Generic–itis. The symptoms: • Mind-blowing, meaningless, and grand generic declarative statements, related to why an applicant wants to attend a certain program. • Irritation to admissions readers, causing them to believe that you know nothing about their school and don’t…

I like to read biographies and personal profiles (that’s one of the reasons I like my work so much). I recommend that you check out Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation, in which he clearly demonstrates the journalist’s ability to engage — you can learn from these techniques when you sit down to write your personal statement. Here…

Yale has a brand new question this year. And one that is fairly distinctive among bschools. As you did last year, you need to make the most of that single essay, but you also need to take the time to make every box in the application a home run. They are not after-thoughts. Your job…

Leadership, teamwork, ethics, and a global approach to business are essential elements of the Duke Fuqua MBA, which is why you’ll need to make sure you express your passion for these ideals in your application essays. Impress the Fuqua adcom by positioning yourself as an innovative leader and team player, as someone who can see the big picture, work…

Two major changes to Georgetown McDonough’s application this year 1. A new essay prompt: A little more focus and 250 words shorter than last year’s question. 2. A one-minute video. I recently interviewed Georgetown McDonough’s Dean of Admissions, Shari Hubert for our Admission Straight Talk podcast. While the main topic of the podcast is the evolving…

In an effort to streamline and simplify the letter of recommendation writing process, a few top business schools with the cooperation of GMAC have released the new Common Letter of Recommendation. This is an initiative, according to the GMAC website, to “help reduce the burden of asking for – and submitting – letters of recommendation.”…

The Dartmouth Tuck adcom is interested in learning about what you as an individual, a businessperson, and a leader can contribute to Tuck’s small, close-knit program. Use your essays as a platform for expressing your earnest desire to enter the world of management and to make a difference. I strongly recommend Tuck applicants listen to “Tuck…

This year’s MIT Sloan MBA application is significantly different from last year’s and has restored MIT Sloan’s signature cover letter and resume. In fact that’s all that’s required. The cover letter was required for years and either last year or the year before MIT Sloan experimented with a letter of recommendation from you and for…

In September 2014, Kellogg adopted the mission statement: “Inspiring growth.” While the current site does not emphasize that mission, Kellogg’s questions still reflect it. The video below explores and clarifies this mission as well as the values Kellogg holds dear. I highly recommend that you watch it to grasp Kellogg’s fundamental beliefs as well as what it seeks from…

The supplemental information that Haas requests is unchanged. Essay 2 and 3 are somewhat different from last year’s questions. There is a new option replacing what was the second option for question #2. #3 is a clarification of last year’s #3. #1 is unchanged. Haas also is a little less encouraging in terms of using the…

Chicago Booth has always prided itself on admitting students who can handle ambiguity and lack of structure. And its application reflects that principle. In spades. This year’s Booth application also mirrors Chicago’s pride in its distinctive culture. This essay/presentation question, a modified version of last year’s prompt, is about as open-ended and original as it gets. The prompt…

I recently heard a story about a gentleman who was about to purchase a certain piece of land with the intention of building a school on that property. It was wartime, and the theater of war was rapidly approaching the region in which he and the property were located. A friend heard about his intended…